


The Ascian Effect

by SigynOdinson



Series: Wondrous Tails of Eorzea [2]
Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gallows Humor, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Possession, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 23:17:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18376097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SigynOdinson/pseuds/SigynOdinson
Summary: Sigyn is plagued by nightmares and hallucinations pertaining to the Ascian that has haunted her adventures as the Warrior of Light. Thancred, once possessed by the Ascian Lahabrea, has struggled with similar fears. Can the two find comfort by sharing their experiences.





	The Ascian Effect

The plush Ishgardian bedding tumbled off of her body as Sigyn jumped out of the bed, her hand frantically groping in the dark to find her grimoire.

Red eyes flickering wildly she surveyed the room, she cursed the large ornate furnishings favoured by House Fortemps, for they cast long shadows and prevented her from seeing the whole room from where she stood.

Her body relaxed slightly as her fingers finally found purchase on her grimoire, she felt much safer with her favoured weapon in her grasp. Hugging it tightly to her chest she crouched low and tried to steady her trembling breaths.

“It was just a nightmare.” She whispered over and over and over. “It can’t hurt you now.”

She dug her nails into her arms, the thin fabric of her nightdress bunching with her grip. 

“He can’t hurt me now.” Her voice was stronger this time, as if she were trying to convince someone else rather than herself.

“Are you certain?”

Sigyn’s breath hitched and her body froze. She had to move. She had to move now. She had to move but her body wouldn’t obey her. Wide eyed she could only lift her head towards the source of the voice.

A source that shouldn’t exist. A source that couldn’t exist.

“Lahabrea.” She breathed, her voice gradually rising in pitch as she continued. “No, no, no. You’re Dead. I watched you die.”

A smile ghosted across his lips, the kind of smile that might have been comforting to see on anyone else’s.

“I have died many times and I will likely die many more.” He raised his chin slightly, and although his eyes were covered by his mask she could imagine the loathing burning bright in them. “As you well know from your little ‘victory’ over Ultima”

Sigyn dragged herself to her feet, an unbearable weight seemed to push down on her, making staying on her feet a challenge. She could fight back, she could summon Ifrit and defeat Lahabrea like she had done countless times before. She could scream for help or push past Lahabrea and run, she surely wouldn’t get far but at least she would have done something. Instead she stood frozen, eyes downcast as the cold metal embossing on her grimoire began to warm from the heat of her chest.

Lahabrea circled around Sigyn, his steps making no sound, sneering in disgust.

“You’ve grown soft Warrior of Light.” He stopped in front of her, taking one of her horns in his clawed hand he wrenched her head up to face him. “The saviour cowed by my mere presence.”

He pushed her head away and circled her once more.

“You’ve realised by now, haven’t you?” Lahabrea hissed with glee. “I have all the power here!”

“Moenbryda. Haurchefant. Minfilia.” He cooed. “One by one, I’ve taken them from you.”

“Try as I might I can’t kill you.” He paused his circling, a twisted grin split his face in two. “But I can take away everything. Everyone. I can take and take and take till you have nothing.”

He crouched slightly till her eyes met his masked face.

“So who’s next. One of your new Elezen comrades?” He whispered.

“No.” Sigyn shook her head violently, her grip tightening.

“How about the child then, Alphinaud. Go on, I’ll let you pick.”

“No.” Tears streaming down her face, Sigyn sobbed her reply. “No more, please, just take me instead.”

“That leaves the rogue then. How heartless of you. No use to you now that he has no magick I see.”

“NO.” Sigyn screamed, a ring of shadowy flame erupted around the room the tendrils licking at the furniture.

Her legs gave out beneath her, sobs wracking her body she rocked gently in the middle of the fiery ring of her own creation.

She doesn’t know how long she sits there but its long enough for the cold of the stone floor to eek into her bones, her fire has no heat and only burns the living so she has no worries of the fire spreading.

She jumps when she feels two warm hands rest on her shoulders, she raises her tear soaked face to meet a somewhat familiar pair of eyes. She recognises their shape, their kindness, their warmth but where she expected to see two brown eyes she instead saw a brown and a silver.

“When I offered you a fiery night of passion, this is not quite what I had in mind, love.” Thancred winced as the Shadowflare burned around him.

Sigyn scrambled to her feet positioning Thancred behind her. Her eyes wildly searching the room.

“No, no, no. We can’t- We can’t stay here. He’s here Thancred. He’s-”

“Who’s here?” Thancred’s voice was soft and low as he took Sigyn’s shoulders in his hands gently turning her to face him.

“Lahabrea. Lahabrea’s here.” The words spilled out of her mouth, her nails digging into her arms as she attempted to still her shaking body. “All of you. All of you. I have to protect all of you”

Thancred pulled the shaking woman into his chest, wincing slightly as her horns pressed into him, while placing a hand on her head. The dark tendrils of Sigyn’s Shadowflare started to peter out, burning Thancred slightly but he would worry about that later.

“Lahabrea is dead, Sigyn.” He kept his voice as soft yet firm. “Alphinaud and Estinien were there. You all saw it.”

The woman’s slight frame gradually stopped shaking and she looked up at Thancred, her eyes noticeably clearer.

“But I saw him. Here, he spoke to me.” Her voice dripped with desperation, for someone, anyone to believe her. “I saw him.”

Thancred released her from his grip moving his hands from her shoulders to her face.

“I know you did.” A sad smile ghosted across face, an expression Sigyn had never seen on the cocksure bard. “I know you did because I see him too.”

He took a deep breath.

“But he isn’t real, Sigyn. He’s not alive and he isn’t some malevolent spirit haunting us.” He tapped a finger to his temple. “It's all in here.”

He sat down on the bed motioning for Sigyn to sit next to him.

They sat in silence like that for a while, Sigyn resting her head against his shoulder as her breathing steadied. His presence grounding her back to reality.

“How-” She swallowed. “How long?”

“Since Ultima, or maybe a bit before.” He raised his head to stare at the ceiling. “When Lahabrea possessed me, I was aware of everything. That was the worst part or so I thought.”

He patted Sigyn’s head absentmindedly running his fingers through her hair.

“When you saved me I thought it was over, that my nightmare had ended. Turns out the nightmares had only just begun.”

“Does it get any better?” Sigyn lifted her head from his shoulder, looking into his eyes for his answer.

Thancred wanted to lie. He truly did. He was a skilled liar, he could lie to her now and she would likely never know. Yet at a time like this where a pretty lie could help ease her suffering he found himself unable to tell it.

“I’ll let you know when I find out.” That was all he could say, a non answer really but she seemed to accept it nonetheless.

“He really has done a number on us,” she said quietly, her voice hoarse from crying. “I guess it's only fair. All wars leave scars, I guess most of ours just happen to be on the inside.”

Standing up from the bed Thancred walked to the door.

“Its nearly sunrise so I best leave while I can.” He smirked slightly. “If Tataru caught me in here I dare say by the time she were done with me I’d no longer be able to call myself a man.”

Sigyn laughed lightly in response.

“Oh, and Sigyn,” Thancred stopped in the doorway, “chamomile tea helps sometimes. Minfilia used to-”

He shook away the thought.

“Anyways,” he paused  “goodnight.”

With his characteristic charm he waved as he closed the door behind him.

"The next time we spend the night together I'd rather your mind was not on another man."


End file.
